Blondie and Rider
by ItsLukasBondevik
Summary: He decided that no matter what, he would never let her go back to that tower, even if it meant reverting back to the life of a wanted criminal and dragging her down with him. For FunkyWatermelon and her sister.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Flynn took her face in his hand, his fingers brushing the back of her neck and sending shivers down her spine. The lanterns made her skin glow so beautifully, and he knew that this feeling in his chest, well, it wasn't something that was going to go away. He leaned in towards her, and she followed suit, her eyes closing. He pressed his lips to hers, vaguely realizing that she had probably never kissed anyone before, but it was banished from his mind, as her hands cupped his face.

It was like sparks began to fly, and he felt a little warmer, emotion overflowing from his heart like many cups of wine. They pulled away from each other, her cheeks tinted a lovely shade of pink, though her smile never faltered. Over her shoulder, he saw the glow of a green lantern light, and narrowed his eyes very slightly. "Blondie, listen to me," he said, taking her by the shoulders. She tilted her head but he prevented her from turning around to see what was waiting on shore for them. "Listen to me okay?"

"Okay," she said, almost breathlessly, her heart racing from the kiss and the intense expression on his face.

"Come with me." For a moment Rapunzel looked confused, not sure what he referring to. "Come with me, away from here. Let's run, far away, and never look back, never come here ever again. Never go back to that tower." Her eyes widened and she was speechless, her hands to her chest. It began to grow dark again as the lanterns blew out, flickering and falling into the water around them. There was a moment of complete silence around them as he took her hands in his, squeezing them hopefully, tightly, wishing that she would say yes.

"Eugene," she said nervously, looking at their entwined fingers. "I... what about Mother?" He winced, knowing that this was the main factor that she was going to bring up. He didn't know quite what to say to that, because leaving her mother, despite the woman locking her up in a tower for eighteen years of her life, was not something done lightly.

He sighed and brushed his hand across her face. "I don't want to ever lose you, Rapunzel. I don't want to see someone like you locked up again forever. Come with me, be free." She watched him, her heart thumping wildly in her chest, the thought of adventure and running away with him tantalizing her more than he could ever have known. Her imagination ran wild, thinking of spending nights out under the stars again with him, spending all her days and all her nights with him, never having to leave his side. Never being cooped up in a room for years at a time, without seeing the world and those who are in it.

She bit her lip, and closed her eyes for barely a second before she looked up at him with that fire in her eyes that sent a jolt through his body. "Let's go, Eugene."

Flynn rowed the boat quickly back to the dock, away from the side of the inlet that the Stabbington Brothers occupied. Maximus still sat there, the apple cores around him, waiting for their return. Flynn quickly leaped out of the gondola and pulled Rapunzel up with him. Pascal tucked himself under her hair, not sure what was going on as Flynn tugged the satchel out of the boat. "Max," he said, putting the bag around the horse's saddle, "this is all you. Take it and bring it back to where it belongs. When you see the Lost Princess, tell her hey from her biggest fan."

Maximus whinnied, happy to see that Flynn had turned over a new leaf, and wagged an eyebrow at Rapunzel, who hugged his face tightly. "Don't follow us Max." The horse looked hurt for a moment as she kissed his muzzle. "Eugene and I are going away now, somewhere you can't follow. I have to get away from someone and so does he. We're going to hide." Maximus nodded sadly and nudged her with his nose, making her scratch behind his ears for a moment.

"We gotta get going, Blondie," he said edgily, the green light around the other side of the water starting to move. She nodded and took his hand, the two of them hurrying off into the fog. Maximus watched them go, giving the brown satchel a sad glance, wondering if he'd ever see them again.

AN: This is a request story from FunkyWatermelon and her sister, so I hope I do their idea justice.


	2. 1: A Day in the Life

Chapter 1

Adrenaline kept them moving for most of the night. The fear that someone, anyone, would find them at any moment made them swift and tireless. Flynn could tell that Rapunzel was growing weary after a while, but egged her on, hoping to get as much distance between them and Corona as possible. His body grew sore with every passing minute, but he couldn't stop running away, he couldn't stop feeling that if he tired, if he slowed for even a second, all would be lost. His hand clenched hers tightly, keeping her going until, finally, they both collapsed from exertion, gasping for air on their knees, the grass making their skin itch.

Rapunzel rolled over onto her back and Pascal fanned her face with a leaf and Flynn could see that he maybe pushed her a little too hard. Almost to her limit. He crawled over to her, and laid down beside her, his breath almost back to him completely. Her eyes were closed, but her chest wasn't heaving as heavily as before, which he saw as a good sign. "You all right Blondie?" he asked, picking one of the flowers out of her hair that hadn't fallen out during their run. She nodded and gulped for more air, putting a hand to her forehead.

"I haven't run that much in my life!" she admitted, sitting up and brushing bits of dirt from her dress. Pascal put his leaf down and crawled up her arm to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek. "I'm fine Pascal," she said with a giggle, turning her eyes away from her long time companion back to Flynn Rider, who was watching her with the most curious expression on his face.

If he was honest with himself, he didn't truly expect her to come with him. He didn't expect that she felt as strongly about him as he did about her, that she would refuse, insist on going back to that prison with the warden she called her mother. The thought made his stomach turn, but he felt like he was on top of the world when she agreed to run away with him. This girl was everything he could ever hope for; equal parts adventurous, kind, beautiful, and intelligent. Curious and brave, loving and thoughtful. What more could he ever ask for in someone?

Was he really so lucky that maybe, just maybe this girl... possibly...?

Flynn snapped himself out of his musings and stood up from the ground, stretching his limbs so they wouldn't get any more sore from the run. "We should cover a little more ground," he said, pulling her to her feet. "We don't have to run anymore, but a brisk walk would be good, Goldie." The thief began to tug her forward, but she stopped him, a bit of an impish expression on her face. He watched her for a moment, not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she was making that face, and cocked an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"

She stood up on her toes, gripping the front of his vest, and pulled him into another kiss. It was an unexpected gesture, though not unwanted, and he returned the favor, his hand tangling in her thick braid as he deepened the kiss just a little so as not to overwhelm her. Flynn Rider wouldn't usually consider a thing like that, but Eugene Fitzherbert was more than considerate for the naïve girl that had spent all of her life almost literally in a cave. "I like that," she said thoughtfully, giving him one last peck before the two of them started off again, hand in hand, through the forest. He wanted to say that he liked it too, but was sure that would be much too corny of a line for the smooth Flynn Rider.

They were quiet through most of the night, the sounds of the animals creeping through the bushes no longer a source of discomfort for Rapunzel. She knew, that no matter what the world had to offer, Eugene would be there to keep her safe.

The man's brain was working hard, trying to figure out what they were going to do now. They could only run for so long before they got hungry, and though he did have money, he rather objected to spending any more of it than he already had that day. Not that he minded spending money on Rapunzel, just that he needed to make it stretch out quite a bit more than he was used to. He was wary about stealing things for and around Rapunzel because he doubted she would approve no matter how good he was at his job.

His worry seemed to show on his face, and she asked him anxiously, "Eugene, you look upset. What's wrong?"

For a moment he just watched her, silent as he moved aside a sticker bush for her so she wouldn't get any pricks from it. "My little run away with Rapunzel plan wasn't exactly thought through," he admitted, giving her a half smile. "I have money, but that won't last us for the rest of our lives." The young girl pondered that for a moment, her hand to her chest as she thought.

"We could get jobs," she offered, her hands behind her back. "Change our names, live somewhere far away where no one can ever find us." Flynn grimaced at the thought of actually sitting down and being constructive for the good of humanity. He wasn't too happy about it, to be honest, but right then, he was thinking of more than just himself now. For now he had a girl, a woman, and her fr—chameleon to think about taking care of. Suppressing a shudder at the thought of needing to be responsible, Flynn ran his fingers back through his hair.

"Change my name again, Goldie?" he said with a nervous laugh as they carefully slid down the side of a hill and waded through a shallow creek. He couldn't even comprehend not being at least Flynn Rider; it was his name for so much of his life, it was _part_ of him, just like an arm or a leg. Just as much as Rapunzel's hair was a part of her. "Let me be honest with you," he said with a sigh, knowing that sooner or later the truth would get out to her anyway. "I'm not the type to settle down and get a job and be responsible. I don't even think I know _how_ to be responsible. Once a thief, always a thief."

She furrowed her brows, and he knew she didn't like the sound of that by the way she looked at Pascal, but he couldn't change who he was. Not at a time at this at least. In a different world, when things weren't so dire and so bleak for their future, maybe he could stop thieving, maybe he could settle down, but not now. Not when the entire kingdom, a deranged mother, and two murderous brothers were after them. He looked away from her, a bit afraid of any sign of disappointment from her. She said, startling him, "Then I'll be a thief too."

Flynn stopped walking, his eyes wide at her simple assertion. "Rapunzel, you're too..." he struggled to find the right world, and she gave him a warning look, making him rethink exactly what he was going to say. "You're too good. You're not the type to be a thief."

"That way no one will suspect me," she said brightly, smiling that adorable smile at him and making all his nerves and resolve float by the wayside. He hoped she never found out just how tightly she had him wound around her finger. He smiled at her, and tilted his eyebrows in admiration.

"You're something else, Blondie," he admitted, putting one hand on his hip as they stopped near a trail. Rapunzel was the first to admit she didn't know where she was, but she trusted Flynn with her life, the rest of her life at that. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulls her back behind the tree, looking suspicious at a sound that she hadn't heard, his amber eyes following the trail up. The sound of a carriage was rolling by, but he and Rapunzel were quite hidden in the shadows. "But I don't want you to lead the same life I have."

"But I want to stay with you," she argued back, holding his hand in hers possessively. He liked the way she said it; he actually felt like someone appreciated and enjoyed his company. That has never been the case in his entire life.

He shook his head. "That was the whole point of us scurrying off away from your mother and Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber," he reminded her, poking a finger against her forehead and giving her a gentle smile. "But if anyone is doing any thievery, it's going to be me. And just me. The last thing I want is your cute face all screwed up on a wanted poster." Though he wouldn't say it out loud, the thought of her taking something away from someone seemed a bit beyond her capacity as a human being. She was too sweet, and thieving was too mean.

She was about to protest, but he put a hand over her mouth, something else catching his attention. A creaking noise through the forest was drawing closer to him, and Flynn hid Rapunzel behind him, wondering where on earth the damn frying pan went. The creaking stuttered for a moment, before whatever was heading their way changed directions and started away from them. He let out a sigh of relief, and Rapunzel peeked under his arm, wondering what all the fuss was about. "We have to be careful," he said, tucking her under his arm and glancing both ways across the trail before hoisting her under his arm and darting across it with all his skill and finesse.

Rapunzel was placed down on her feet as they made it a few feet deeper into this side of the woods, and Flynn ran a hand through his hair. "Eugene," she said, tugging on his shirtsleeve. He glanced down at her, feeling hopeless. This was a bad idea, a very bad idea. He should have planned ahead at least, a place for them to stay. He was used to roughing it in the woods night after night, but he knew that Rapunzel was not. "Can we sit down for a little while?" He nodded and pulled her up against a rock face where she fell straight to her stomach, her cheek pressed against the grass thankfully.

He knew for a fact that he would take care of her. All he had to do now was figure out how to do it.


End file.
